Listen: Rosa Yemen “Rosa Vertov” #TBT (1980)

We’re digging into the past — in search of inspiration and ideas, highlighting both songs that have stood the test of time and those that never got the attention they deserved. What’s old is new, and for our first nostalgia post we are focusing our attention on French no wave duo Rosa Yemen, comprised of vocalist Lizzy Mercier Descloux and guitarist D.J. Barnes. Their experimental tinkerings first cropped up in the late ’70s, and their sound exhibits a dark, impassioned sense of abandon. Forgoing traditional song structures, the duo create frantic snapshots of emotion and movement, colored by improvised guitar riffing and vocals that go from spoken word poetry to sporadic, piercing yelps. We’re confident “Rosa Vertov” will have you asking “what just happened” — and in the best way possible.